I'm having fun getting started in large format with a pacemaker crown but I see a Graphic view in my future. I've seen a lot of clean View IIs for reasonable prices so it's only a matter of time. I see the improvements over the original graphic view but what if anything does a View II give up to more modern and much more expensive view cameras?

A. the ability to use a bag bellows and have movements with very wide lenses.

B. The ability to use very long lenses that a (very expensive) modular system would have.

C. (i'm stretching here) the ability to double mount the rail for extra stablilty---extra mounts for a GV are hard to find and almost always have that partial head incorporated. I've had on occasion with my Calumet to add a second mount on the rail so that the camera is much more stable.

the ability to attempt to impress our friends by saying "this puppy set me back 3 grand but the pictures it takes makes up for it" of course you could just buy the GV and lie.

It does give you most of that 3 grand to spend on some top notch glass which is the place to put your money.

_________________"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

Thanks. If I ever need to get something that takes a bag bellows I can just build a bender kit. ....a little too much alliteration there. Mounts I could fabricate easily enough. As far as impressing folks with the price the GV wasn't exactly a cheap camera in its day.

I would say that the option of a bag bellows is about the only thing you're giving up, the GVII will take most modern lenses and the 500mm+ lenses are just to specilised for what you're bio sugests you will be using the camera for.

I traded my GV for a sinar f1 a few years ago. My complaint at the time was small lens boards, and being stabed by the long rail. A 90mm requires a recessed board which requires a special release cable.
The sinar will appear on that e thing as its too heavy to cary into the field but it is flexiable.
Think out what you are going to do then get the camera that will do what you want.
Charles

_________________The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.